All Happy
by ninjapirate6
Summary: This was something big and important. The silence was deafening. Yasu bit his tongue, for once not wanting to be the first to speak in such a confusing atmosphere. "Are you sure this is the one, Mai?" Naru asked suddenly, his eyes never leaving the page. "Naru, there's no doubt in my mind." Mai's hands clutched her shirt. "I know this is the one. I feel it." [Oneshot]


Yasu sat on the floor, papers and books spread out all around him. Usually he would not find himself sitting on his boss's office floor, making a mess of all the research he had gathered so far, but he and Naru were on the verge of a breakthrough. Neither one really seemed to mind the change. The sun was shining through the window, mixing with the lights of Naru's laptop sitting on his desk. Yasu's empty tea cup lay forgotten beside him on the floor, constantly in danger of being knocked over, though the smell of tea still lingered in the air from the kitchen where he assumed Mai was making more. The door to the office was left open, allowing for the occasional inquire to Lin's status with his own findings.

Yasu felt the floor bounce with every stomp of Mai's foot as she walked in through the door, not bothering to knock. She walked right up to Naru's desk and shoved a file into his face. The only reaction Naru had to this that Yasu noticed was the slow blink of his blue eyes at the manila folder. Yasu looked back and forth between the two, a confused smile beginning to form on his lips. He just now noticed that his foot had fallen asleep, so he was glad that something interesting was finally happening.

"Mai, I didn't realize you were researching with us," he said.

"I'm not," Mai said to Yasu, though she never took her eyes off of Naru. Naru raised an eyebrow, reached out, and took the folder out of her hands. Mai tapped the folder with her index finger. "I found it. This is the case we should take."

Yasu became even more confused as he noticed Naru's eyes snap up to meet Mai's brown ones. This was something serious, he could tell, so Yasu resisted every instinct inside of him to make a joke. Instead he watched silently from the floor. He heard Lin walk from his office to stand in Naru's doorway. A glance at his face and Yasu noticed that Lin looked as serious and focused as the pair he stood watching. Yasu could only guess that he was in on the secret of what this specific case was about.

Naru had taken the case folder from Mai's hands with a gentleness that Yasu never expected or saw from the man before. His eyes scanned the papers held inside with great speed, though Yasu was sure that nothing escaped the narcissist's attention. There were times that Yasu was still surprised at just how much Naru retained while reading at such a fast pace. But it was this speed that told Yasu much more than words ever could. Not that he was getting any words, he thought. After years of working together, Yasu was confident that he could call the man before him a friend. He warmed at the thought that there was such a person in his life that still held an air mystery while being simultaneously an open book. Those were Yasu's favorite kind of people after all.

Reading fast meant Naru was excited. The slight furrow in brow meant that whatever he was reading, made him the smallest bit nervous. However, his hands were steady as he turned each page, reading every bit of information provided. Not that Yasu expected anything less from his boss. Mai on the other hand, dear sweet Mai, was bouncing slightly on her feet as she too watched Naru read. She held her hands pressed against her chest, an old habit that stuck with her like a good friend. Yasu didn't need any previous experience in knowing Mai to realize that she was nervous and impatient. This was something big and important. The silence was deafening. Yasu bit his tongue, for once not wanting to be the first to speak in such a confusing atmosphere.

"Are you sure this is the one, Mai?" Naru asked suddenly, his eyes never leaving the page.

"Naru, there's no doubt in my mind." Mai's hands clutched her shirt. "I know this is the one. I _feel_ it.

The case file snapped shut in Naru's hand. He lifted his eyes back to the face of the woman in front of him. Yasu held his breath. "Then it's decided."

Immediately upon hearing his words, Mai broke down crying. Naru jumped out of his chair just as Mai sank into the one behind her. Her hands covered her face and her sobs became muffled. Yasu and Lin both began to walk towards her, but stopped when Naru walked around his desk and knelt down in front of his assistant.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his hand reaching up to rest on her shoulder.

Mai worked on taking deep breathes before she removed her hands. "Oh Naru," she said, a smile brightening up her whole face. "I'm just so happy!"

* * *

Masako was unimpressed with the flicking florescent light above them. The courthouse was small and apparently the room they did wedding ceremonies in was not intended for this many people. She couldn't help but wonder if it wouldn't have been better to just have a regular ceremony if there were going to be this many people invited.

But this was Mai and Naru's wedding, and she shouldn't expect anything to be exactly regular with them.

Masako sat in the front row of seat next to the monk and the priestess, both of them blubbering like babies before Mai even had the chance to walk into the room. John stood in the very front of the room with Naru, one of them visibly looking more excited than the other. Masako lifted a kimono sleeve in front of her mouth, hiding a small smile of amusement at the obvious nervousness that radiated off the usually so confident narcissist. His hands were folded together behind his back. His jaw muscles flexed every time he clenched his jaw shut tight. John whispered something to him with a smile, to which Naru nodded his head.

Lin and Madoka sat together with Naru's parents, Lin with his usual stoic presence and Madoka smiling softly at the scene in front of her. Masako was surprised the woman wasn't causing more trouble, but she figured that even Madoka could have mercy on her former student on such an important day. Yasu stood near the back corner of the room, camera at the ready to shoot anything cute that may happen. Friends of Mai's from school sat in seats near the back row, happily talking quietly amongst themselves. There were a few others who Masako didn't recognize and she was surprised that she couldn't tell from which side of the bridal party they may be connected to. She shook her head and assumed that maybe they were here for both. It wasn't just Mai's circle of acquaintances that had opened up due to her relationship with Naru. Mai had that special talent of making Naru seem almost human, an aspect that many people found they appreciated after having first met him.

Naru had asked Mai to marry him after four years of dating by surprising her with a cup of tea at her desk as she worked on a case review, and asking her as simply as if it were a question about the case they had just completed. Mai had stared at him blankly for a full ten seconds before what he said registered with her. She jumped up from her chair, effectively spilling Naru's horribly made tea on the papers she was working on, and hugged Naru from across her desk. Tears ran down her face as she shouted out "Yes!" over and over again while Naru slowly side stepped until he stood on the same side of the desk as her. A flash lit the room as Lin took a picture of the happy couple, both smiling (one more brightly than the other), while surrounded by a small flood of spilt tea.

Masako had been worried that the others would be concerned about her feelings when she first heard the news. She wasn't sure if they fully realized she had long outgrown her crush on Naru. It had been hard at first to acknowledge that she didn't quite understand the man as well as Mai seemed to. She was often caught off guard by laughter coming from Mai, to which she followed with the phrase, "That was a horrible joke, Naru." Masako never noticed any jokes being made by Naru, but she did notice the smirk Naru gifted Mai with every time she laughed. Slowly, Masako noticed a change in those smirks, constantly comparing them to ones he gave to others. At some point, the smirks for Mai didn't look like smirks at all. Instead, they were very small smiles, a secret hidden in the corner of his lips like the jokes in his monotone sentences.

She wasn't particularly surprised to hear that they started dating, just as she wasn't particularly surprised to hear they were getting married. Masako was thankful that she could find out through someone else just how unromantic Naru was. Masako wanted to be wooed; she wanted fancy dinners and big public declarations of love. This was something that Naru would never be able to do. Masako almost believed that Naru didn't have a romantic bone in his body. But Mai didn't think so; she understood. Masako enjoyed details. But mostly she enjoyed how those details made up the big picture. To Mai however, the big picture was the details. It was in those details that four years' worth of fighting, laughing, crying, apologizing, forgiving, and everything in between, made up a love unlike any other. Masako felt the threat of her own tears as the thought came to her mind. Mai fiercely cherished each moment with Naru, even when they weren't all that pleasant. Masako admired that about her.

The medium allowed one tear to trickle down her cheek as she watched Mai walk into the room and down the small aisle to Naru and John, a bundle of white daisies gripped in her hands. Her white dress stopped just above her knees, the simple bell sleeves and square neckline which Masako thought was very becoming of the woman who Mai grew up to be. They had both grown their hair out, Masako mused, but she liked Mai's better today, as half of it swayed gently against the middle of her back. The other half was up in a bun, a single white daisy woven within. Naru was as handsome as ever, but Mai was beautiful, inside and out.

When Mai reached Naru, she silently handed Masako the bouquet so she could take both hands of her soon-to-be husband. No one's smile in the room was brighter than Mai's, though everyone was competing. Except for Bou-san, who only cried harder.

And then there was Naru, with no hint of a smile until the very end, when John announced them officially husband and wife. His lips lifted into the biggest smile anyone had ever seen him make, excluding Mai. She claimed that he smiled all the time. (Masako had to remind her that Naru smiles were only reserved for her.) When Naru smiled, everyone else in the room smiled even more, excluding Mai. She claimed that she couldn't have smiled harder if she wanted to. (Masako had to remind her that she began to slightly jump up and down in excitement, meaning that she was affected as much as anyone.)

They kissed. A simple soft kiss that included Naru's hands gently holding Mai's face and Mai's hands burrowing themselves in the lapels of Naru's black jacket. Cheers rang out loudly in the small room, making the court officials jump. People rushed up to congratulate the new couple. Mai smiled and laughed with each person who came up to them, as Naru stood next to her, his hand on her lower back and his love filled eyes never leaving his new bride.

Masako silently slipped out of the room, knowing that she would see them at the small get together of friends and family planned for a few hours from now. She smiled to herself and sniffed the sweet flowers that Mai had handed to her.

Masako was happy that both of her friends were happy. Taking a quick glance over her shoulder before the courtroom doors closed, Masako indeed saw happiness reflected on all of those who attended. Flickering light be damned.

* * *

Bou-san looked at the pictures hanging up on the wall, amazed that there could be so much life represented in just one room. Mai's decorating style was simple, but unique, as there wasn't anywhere that you could look without seeing a smiling face staring back at you. For Naru's sake, she toned it down as much as her heart could take, but Mai was happy, and her home with Naru and their kids showed it.

On the table by the bookcase was the picture of Naru standing in the kitchen holding their son, Ichigo, in his arms. Bou-san knew that it must have been a candid picture since Naru had a smirk on his lips and his aviator glasses were slightly askew from where Ichigo tried to grab them moments before, even though the boy wore a similar pair himself. They both wore a matching t-shirt that only showed the word "Handsome" written in white across the chest. Ichigo was smiling widely, his dark brown skin contrasting against his father's pale white.

In the purple frame on the mantle showed a picture of Akane, smiling joyfully at the camera while sitting next to the sand castle she had just built. There were ladybugs on her bathing suit and her hair clung to her head and neck where it had escaped from her braids, evidence that she had just gotten out of the ocean. She was missing one of her front teeth and sand covered her hands, knees, and parts of her face. Behind her, Bou-san could just make out Ayako's sunhat and John's blonde hair.

The wall next to the door held a picture of Kasumi, the very one Bou-san used as his album cover. It was a one-in-a-million kind of shot. Though she stood with her back to the camera, Kasumi had looked over her shoulder at the exact moment the picture was taken, allowing for the viewer to see the emotion in her face. All around her, objects floated in the air, lifted up by an unseen force; toys, furniture, the vague shape of person who happened to be near enough when she got upset. She wasn't smiling in the picture, nor was she mad or crying. But her eyes! Those dark green eyes could pierce any soul, Bou-san thought. He often told her so, much to her embarrassment. He couldn't believe how different she looked in the picture compared to the little girl he knew now.

He glanced at the other pictures loitering around the room. One of the kids and Naru's parents at a castle somewhere in England. One of just Naru and Mai taken randomly on a case, holding hands and flashlights. There was one of Lin sitting on the floor in the play room, the nails of his left hand being painted by Akane, his right hand being painted by Ichigo, while his hair was being tied up in ponytails by Kasumi. He knew that one must have been taken by Madoka. The air in the room smelled like tea. Bou-san smiled.

Bou-san still remembered the day that Yasu told him that Naru and Mai had decided on the adoption case that they were going to take. It was a rainy day at a case in a haunted parking garage, but suddenly it felt like the sun was shining on the little paranormal investigation team. The sight of Mai's face plastered with a huge smile as she checked the air temperatures was enough to make her older brother figure feel tears spring to his eyes. His little Mai was going to be a mother. Naru that day was particularly happy himself. The monk noticed how his eyes continually strayed towards Mai, a brief glimpse of joy flashing across his face when he did it. No one said anything directly to the couple about the adoption that day. Instead, they all just allowed the happiness to spread and linger in the air while they worked, knowing that there would be tomorrow to ask questions and get details.

Four months later, Kasumi, Ichigo, and Akane arrived. Bou-san suspected that was fast for an adoption process, but he knew that this was a special case. Kasumi was the oldest at eight-years-old while Ichigo and Akane were both five. Bou-san stopped in front of his favorite photograph and smiled. The picture was taken on the third day that the kids arrived to their new home. It was a testament to how much the three had flourished by being with Naru and Mai. Kasumi clung to Ichigo and Akane in the picture, her hands gripping theirs tightly in each of her own. Kasumi looked at the camera with a blank face, though the furrow in her brow gave her thoughts away. Back then she didn't trust anyone, much less the odd couple who claimed to want to make the three of them part of their family. The twins on the other hand each gave hesitant smiles towards the camera. Bou-san could tell even from the picture that they were hopeful about their new situation. It took six months for that same hesitant, hopeful smile to grace Kasumi's lips. Behind them in the picture was the big Oak tree in Naru's backyard with a swing hanging off one of the branches. The grass was freshly cut, the sun was shining, and there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. Such a happy background for a miserable bunch of kids.

Right below it, sharing the same frame, was a more recent picture of the kids, three years after the first one was taken. Mai had her arms around both Ichigo and Akane, smiling wide with her eyes shut in joy. The twins looked to have been caught mid-laugh, though Ichigo still somehow managed to look towards whoever took the photo. Beside them, Kasumi stood smiling just as widely at the camera, her hands clutching Naru's arm in happiness. Naru stood looking down at his daughter with a small smile on his lips, a declaration of love if there ever was one.

Bou-san knew if he walked around the entire house he would find many pictures of himself and the other members of SPR. He knew that there were many pictures in the house that he himself had taken. Mai considered them all family and so they had a rightful place on the walls and in the picture frames of her home. Mai's instincts had never been more correct than when she chose those three kids. They had quickly become the heart of their weird collection of a family.

"Bou-san! If you want any of this birthday cake, you better come get it now before Ichigo eats it all!"

"I will not!"

Bou-san laughed. It felt good to be home.

* * *

Mai said that Naru once told her that it was amazing that three biological siblings were able to stick together for so long. However, he suspected their paranormal abilities to be the cause of it. "That's how it was for him and Gene," she said. "No one wanted to be the one to separate the two and cause bad things to happen when Naru's PK acted up."

All Ayako knew was that before Naru and Mai, the kids bounced from foster home to foster home. Some were better than others, but none ever became a home. She didn't know how old they were when they were put into the system or why. All Ayako knew was that they were better off where they were now.

Not that it was rainbows and sunshine all the time for the family. Ayako recalled a night sitting with Mai at her kitchen table, comforting the girl who feared her family would never come to live happily together. Kasumi didn't trust neither Mai or Naru; she didn't want the twins anywhere near them. And with Kasumi's untrained PK abilities, it was a challenge to get the girl to hear reason when she started to get emotional. Objects would start to float in the air and spin around on their own. Twice, Mai had to kick everyone out of the kitchen in fear that a knife would land on an unsuspecting head.

Ichigo and Akane were too young to really understand what was going on. Ichigo was happy enough that he was able to buy bed sheets with cartoon characters that he liked on them. Akane liked working on puzzles at the kitchen table, listening to the sounds of Mai prepare dinner.

Ayako tried her best to be a voice of reason. "Kasumi's been hurt in the past," she would tell Mai. "Give her time to adjust to the idea that you guys will understand what she's going through." She knew that any advice she gave would be easier said than done. But it seemed to cheer Mai up, so Ayako willingly lent her thoughts to the new mother whenever requested. Even, she had to admit, a few times when it wasn't.

Naru's progress with the kids was even slower. He didn't always know how to interact with them at first. But no one could say that he didn't try. In those first few weeks, it was hard for Naru to join a conversation. His natural shyness and nervousness left him unable to think of anything say and instead left him looking like his usual stand-offish self. However, Akane and Ichigo loved when he read to them every night before bed. It quickly became their routine every night, after he forced them to brush their teeth.

It was during one of those bedtime stories that Kasumi snuck out of bed and confronted Ayako alone in the kitchen while Mai was grabbing something her bedroom. "What's their deal?" Kasumi asked, not bothering with any small talk.

"What do you mean?" Raising an eyebrow, Ayako sat her steaming coffee cup down on the counter, giving the young girl her entire attention.

"Why do they want us? How do two people so different end up married?"

Ayako laughed. "We would all like to know the answer to that last question," she said. "But it seems that love works in mysterious ways." She looked at Kasumi from head to toe, taking note of how cute her lime green pajamas were. According to Mai, that particular shopping trip had been an adventure in itself and one that she hoped never repeated itself. Ayako made a mental note to ask Mai again exactly what happened. Maybe the girl would actually give details this time. "But to answer your other question, I can only say what I know."

Kasumi sat herself down on the bar stool that sat before the kitchen island. She was still such a small child, Ayako thought, but she's had to mature much faster than any child should have to. Ayako was determined not to sugar coat anything for the girl. Trust could never be built otherwise.

"Naru was an orphan in a very bad situation who was adopted into a caring family. Mai lost both her parents when she was still young and learned early how to care for herself. They both wanted to give love to someone who needed it. They wanted to grow their family with others who needed a family the most."

She didn't get the chance to say anything else before Mai came back into the kitchen, talking excitedly about the contents of a book she had just read and how much it helped to improve Mai's perspective on the topic. She stopped short in seeing Kasumi, but quickly her surprise turned back into a smile as she offered the girl a cookie before bed. Kasumi declined and left the kitchen, Mai's eyes following her the whole way out.

After a few months, Ayako could see a slow change in the oldest sibling. Her smiles grew at every joke told. Movie nights became a common occurrence when they found out how much Kasumi liked to talk during them. She told them all about her love of dogs and how one time Ichigo unraveled a whole roll of toilet paper and she had to figure out a way to get it all back on the roll in time before her foster mother came home from work. Mai reported more and more times when she and Kasumi would stay up late into the night, talking about dreams and what Kasumi wanted to do when she grew up. They laughed together and drank hot chocolate, a feat that Ayako could only credit to Mai's absolute cheerfulness.

Ayako really knew that progress had been made the day that Mai texted her saying that Naru and Kasumi were outside alone together. She sent a picture a few moments later, showing a black clad Naru sitting in the grass next to his daughter, a coin held in his hands. Ayako didn't get it, but the look of wonder on Kasumi's face was more than enough to show the woman that there was hope for this family yet.

Happy and sad moments both arose in the Davis household. Through all of it, Ayako was there to reassure Mai. "You're not a family until you've had your first fight," Ayako said with a laugh one day to the tired mother.

Bou-san laughed along from beside her. "She's right, Jou-chan! It's only when you love your kids through the hard times that they are really going to understand that you're a family."

"Geez Monk, you make me want to call my parents," Ayako said with a grimace.

"Good! You should! Tell your mother how thankful you are for all of her hard work!" Mai said adamantly. Apples sat in a bowl on in the middle of the counter. Bugs chirped loudly outside the window above the sink. Ayako could still taste dinner on her tongue. Ichigo ran into the room just then and punched Bou-san's leg before laughing loudly and running away, knowing that the man would cry out in fake pain and begin chasing after him. It was a game between the two that was created earlier in the week. Ayako and Mai laughed at the scene.

"You know Mai," Ayako told her once the two were the only ones left in the kitchen. "I'm really proud of the way you and Naru have been handling things. It's not easy taking in three children, let alone children who have unstable psychic abilities."

Mai smiled and sighed at the same time. "Thank you for saying so. Kasumi and Naru seemed to have bonded over her training to control her PK better. And I'm worried that Ichigo is starting to see ghosts every time we go out to the supermarket. But you know what? I'm so excited to see where this will take them in life!"

Ayako smiled at her friend. "You're a very special person, Mai."

Mai placed her hand on top of Ayako's, her eyes glowing with warmth and love. "Thank you. But if we keep talking like this, you're going to make my head bigger than Naru's."

"Like that's possible," Ayako said with a snort. The two laughed. They could hear Ichigo squealing with his own laughter from Bou-san's tickles. Kasumi was yelling at Akane to stop touching her headphones. Akane was crying in protest. Naru's voice barely reached over it all as he tried to defuse the situation.

Ayako smiled. This family never failed to entertain.

* * *

Lin typed on his laptop, filling in the details of a case that they had just wrapped up. It hadn't been particularly exciting, so the work was boring but fast. A cup of warm tea sat next to his keyboard that Mai had brought in only a few moments ago. He was almost done. It wasn't unusual for him to go home before the married couple finished their indivdual work around the office, but today it seemed that he would be able to leave earlier than ever. He wondered about what he should make for dinner.

As he was typing, his door opened without so much as a knock. Lin looked up from his computer screen just as Naru walked in. Neither said anything as Naru closed the door, sat himself in the chair placed in front of Lin's desk, opened his book, and began to read. If Lin had been anyone else, he would have stopped to question his boss about the disruption to his work, but Lin merely blinked at the sight and continued filling out the report. The silence between the two men was only disrupted by the clicking of keys from Lin's keyboard or the turn of a page from Naru's book. It had been a while since the two sat in each other's presence like this; each one silent in their own activity, but enjoying the time spent together.

Lin hadn't realized how much he missed little moments like this in his office. He was reminded of afternoons watching Noll and Gene doing their homework, each one focusing on the task for a different reason. When he first met the two boys, everything had been so different. Gene, the A+ student, didn't mind doing the work; it was easy and didn't take long. He wanted to get it out of the way as soon as possible so he could spend the rest of the day playing. Noll, on the other hand, was in jeopardy of failing all of his classes. Luella and Martin were aware of how children of great intellect can have the tendency of not doing well in school if they are not being challenged, so they were not too worried about the reason why. However, the school system claimed that it was too late in the school year to allow the twins to skip to the grade level that would best fit their intelligence. Lin remembered how Luella wrung her hands together telling the newly employed Lin that they didn't know how to get Noll to just do the work. Her voice was laced with sadness when she mentioned that nothing they tried had worked so far.

It took a few weeks, but Lin finally got Noll to make a deal: If he did his homework, Lin would take him and Gene on a case as part of the investigation team. Noll had been interested in the work of his new parents since he first understood what it was they did. Lin understood that better than anyone. Martin hailed him a genius when they all started to see the improvement in Noll's grades. Luella seemed less certain of that label once she realized that she would have to allow putting her new family in a potentially dangerous situation. That was the first moment Lin was dubbed their protector, a responsibility he never could let go of.

The boys loved to work in Martin's study, using whatever flat surface was available to stick their papers on to write. Sunlight would stream in through the windows, bright enough to be the only light source in the whole room on those rare days that it wasn't raining. Gene stuck his tongue out whenever he wrote, which in those quiet moments Lin found endearing. Noll used to suck his thumb while reading, a habit so unconsciously done that not even the teasing from his brother could immediately correct it. Lin secretly loved that about Noll. It was nice to see such a little kid action come from someone as smart as the boy. With little emotion, Lin would reprimand Gene from picking on his brother, knowing that it could only do so much for the already insecure Noll. But then one day while in the study, Lin noticed how Noll didn't suck his thumb anymore. Gene didn't stick his tongue out. Neither wiggled in their seats with the desire to go outside and run. They had grown up without Lin even knowing it.

So Lin was happy to have a moment like this with Naru. However, he knew Naru better than almost everyone and knew that Naru was not in here merely to spend time with him. During his musings of the past, Lin had finished the case report, but he continued to act as though he had work to do. He knew that Naru needed time for whatever it was that brought him here. So he waited.

He waited and thought more about the past. Whistfully, he remember taking the twins to their first paranormal training session. He thought about the time he taught them how to correctly flip a pancake. He allowed a small smile to show as he remembered the faces each boy had made when Luella showered their faces with kisses after they surprised her with breakfast in bed. Gene had been the one to suggest it, but Lin knew that Naru had purposefully given him the idea.

Lin was gently brought out of his memories by the sound of Naru's quiet, but strong, voice. "Mai and I are going to adopt children. We plan to start the process immediately."

Lin stopped typing. Naru continued to read.

"Congratulations," Lin said after a moment's pause, purposefully going back to typing nonsense so that Naru would feel more comfortable continuing to talk.

"We are not parents yet. There is no need to congratulate me," Naru said, slightly shifting in his seat.

Lin's lips once again stretched into a small smile. Thinking of the past made him feel old, but moments like these reminded him of the young boy who looked up at Lin with hopeful eyes at the chance of going on a case together. "I am congratulating you in your decision. It is a big step to start preparing for a family."

Naru nodded slowly, seeming to consider the statement. Out of the corner of his eye, Lin saw Naru close his book and set it down on his lap. "I...," Naru said hesitantly, his blue eyes staring a hole into the top of Lin's desk, "I am unsure of how to proceed."

Lin did not leave work early that day. The rest of his afternoon was spent with Naru in his office, researching different adoption agencies and what the married couple would need to begin. Together they gathered all the information possible on the adoption process. His tea had long gone cold. His office was too hot for his liking and he wasn't sure what time he had eaten lunch. But Lin was happy, leaning across the desk to share his laptop with his friend. The two only stopped their discussion when they heard a gentle knock on Lin's door and Mai's sleepy voice asking Naru if they could go home yet.

"One moment," Naru called out to his wife. Naru grabbed his book and stood up from his chair. Lin placed his laptop back in its rightful place on his desk.

"I will email you the links we found that we thought were best," Lin said, his hands busy doing the action as he spoke.

Naru nodded, but did not walk out of the office yet like Lin was expecting. Instead, he continued to stand in front of the desk, book held stiffly at his side. Lin looked up and focused all of his attention on the blue eyed man, patiently waiting for him to speak. "Mai and I haven't told anyone else about our decision yet."

Lin nodded his head in understanding. He knew Naru would understand all that he meant with that simple action: _I understand. I won't tell anyone your secret. I will help keep this knowledge safe as long as you desire me to._

But most importantly he knew that Naru would deduce this: _I know you did not need my help in doing this research. I am touched that I am the first person you told. Thank you for trusting me._

Without a word, Naru walked out the door. He heard Mai call out a goodbye before the two left the SPR office, the door banging closed behind them. Alone at his desk, Lin smiled as he thought about the future. He felt excited; he's always had a soft spot for children.

* * *

John was part of the crowd on the day the Eugene Davis Research Center for Adolescent Paranormal Phenomenon celebrated its opening. John wasn't ignorant of how big the paranormal community is, but he had never seen so many of its members at one place. There were people from many countries and fields of study, standing outside of the newly built building, listening to the speech given by one of the owners of the center: Oliver Davis.

John smiled as he watched his boss stand at the podium, his hands gracefully resting on the stand in front of him. He was still as confident as ever; the years had been good to him. Though before John could get swept away in his musings, he forced himself to once again pay attention to the words Naru spoke.

"Our purpose is to study the effects of paranormal activity in children and to put that knowledge to work in making their lives better. No child will be turned away; no ability overlooked."

John looked over at Mai, standing to the side of the stage with Kasumi, Ichigo, and Akane. No one that day could rival her smile as she watched Naru make his speech. Beside her, Ichigo nudged Akane, grinning as he mumbled something under his breath. At just seventeen, he already towered over his sisters and mother, and probably his father too. Akane covered her mouth with a hand, John guessed so she wouldn't laugh out loud at whatever Ichigo just told her. Kasumi poked them both hard in the side and gave them a stern look, playing the role of parent while Mai was distracted being charmed by her husband. This family was often a part of John's prayers, a thank you to the Lord above for the blessing of a place to belong and receive happiness from. Watching those children grow up had been the greatest joy in John's life. He loved them like they were his own.

"The research done here will be used to further enhance our understanding of the seemingly impossible in a way that not many scientists have been able to ethically study." At this, Naru hesitated. If John had been anyone else in this crowd, he wouldn't have noticed the slight way Naru looked over at Mai, seeking assurance. Mai slightly nodded her head in encouragement. Their children, as if feeling it in the atmosphere, became silent as their father continued to speak.

"Before he died, my brother Eugene was passionate about helping children who had been affected by paranormal activity; whether that activity was due to their own abilities or their environment. He felt great sympathy for those he encountered during his studies of parapsychology for it reminded him of our own hardships during our youth. A childhood lived where it seemed that no one understood what we were capable of." He stopped speaking for a moment, staring down at the paper he had written everything on. There was silence throughout the giant crowd. Anticipation for his next words gripped the audience.

"Eugene's mission will carry on, even after his untimely death. Together, this institution will instill in each child that walks through its doors a feeling of acceptance and peace of mind. I ask that you give us your support in these endeavors."

With those final words, cheering and applause roared like thunder from the crowd. John clapped his hands together as loud as he could make them. Naru and Mai had been working on that speech together for weeks now, having every SPR member look it over at least once. It was one of the few times that John could remember Naru seeming almost nervous. As the years went by, John had witnessed many emotions come from Naru that no one had known existed in those first few years of knowing each other. But, John supposed, falling in love and raising a family could make anyone break down their walls a bit.

The ceremony continued with Naru and Mai both cutting the giant red ribbon in front of the doors. Everyone was invited inside to check out the building and see just what their donations had acquired for the center. Slowly the crowd outside of the building dwindled till it was just the SPR members and their families standing together, talking and laughing in their usual way.

When John was younger, it felt like time moved so slowly. But as he looked around at his family, he saw how much time had slipped by him. Some of his friends were starting to show grey in their hair or wrinkles at the corner of their eyes. He quietly spoke a quick prayer for everyone's continued safety and wellbeing.

"The speech was really great Naru," Ayako said proudly, her hands raising a glass of champagne. "I'm glad you kept that part about Gene."

"Yeah, Dad! The whole crowd was hanging off your every word," said Kasumi.

"I thought this one old guy was going to fall over because he was leaning so far forward trying to hear what you would say next," Akane added. They all laughed together.

Grabbing her husband's hand, Mai smiled up at him, her eyes almost twinkling. "It's not often that your father talks about Uncle Gene publically. I think it solidified for everyone just how serious we are about this research center and how they need to either be ready to be a part of it or miss out on something great."

Naru's only response to that was to bring their conjoined hands to his lips and kiss the top of Mai's hand. John looked away with a blush and a smile. Even after all these years, the pair showed their love so simply and purely. He found inspiration in the way they still acted towards one another. Unbeknownst to them, John used the couple as an example often when talking to young couples about marriage. Nothing too specific; just enough to show them that with work and compromise, love can withstand a lot. Like a narcissist genius and a cheerful psychic.

The wind gently blew against their backs. The slight hum of conversation from all of those inside invaded every pause of conversation between the SPR group. Bou-san and Ichigo stood together, trying to see who could annoy Ayako the most. A familiar game played throughout the years that all three seemed to still enjoy. Yasu talked to Masako about the new training that would take place once they had an official class of kids and research students alike. They were both excited to see the results of a few theories they had in mind. Kasumi was showing Madoka and Lin a picture on her phone, badly trying to convince them that the boy was only a friend. She long ago had picked up Mai's habit of waving her hands in front of herself as if that would ward off their thoughts. Akane stood behind Mai, her arms wrapped around her mother in a hug as they both listened to Naru go over the schedule for the following Monday and how much he and Mai needed to finish beforehand. Mai nodded her head along, occasionally adding her own thoughts. Her hand patted gently against Akane's arm, a quiet comfort given with each thump.

At some point it would be the end of the opening reception. Everyone who came to visit and celebrate will leave and go home. But at the end of the day, there would still be this group. Tomorrow there will be work to do, as Naru not so kindly reminded them again. But for now, John just wanted to enjoy the scene of this self-made family; all together.

All happy.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

I wrote this mainly because I needed to see a fic out there where Mai and Naru chose to adopt. I might consider writing a longer story about how this family since I have a lot more ideas that I couldn't really incorporate in this one! I can't promise anything though.

I appreciate any comments or thoughts you have on this. Thanks for reading!


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